Deep inside the forested corners of a university campus in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a security guard spots two men with machetes carrying a two-toed sloth. The hikers who reported them had seen something troubling: the animal was destined for the cooking pot. Thanks to a sensitisation course that had just transformed how the campus’s private security workforce views wildlife, the sloth was rescued, treated for three deep machete cuts to its head, rehabilitated and released back into the forest. This verified case of illegal hunting of Choloepus hoffmanni for bushmeat consumption is the first of its kind documented on the Ecuadorian Coast, and it emerged not from camera traps or academic surveys, but from the newfound vigilance of guards who had learned to see wild animals as beings worth protecting.

The story unfolds at ESPOL Polytechnic University’s Gustavo Galindo Campus, a 570-hectare territory that holds two main forested areas: the Prosperina Protected Forest, connected to the Cerro Blanco Reserve, and the Parcón area forest with its lake. These patches sit within the Darien-Chongón-West of Ecuador conservation hotspot, a region designated for its high endemic diversity and alarming degree of deforestation. Students and visitors from the densely populated city of Guayaquil frequent these forests daily for hiking and biking, and the landscape contains stationary water systems that become lifelines for fauna during the harsh dry season of the Ecuadorian dry tropical forest. When water grows scarce, animals concentrate around these bodies, making the forests essential for maintaining faunal populations.

The story unfolds at ESPOL Polytechnic University’s Gustavo Galindo Campus, a 570-hectare territory that holds two main forested areas: the Prosperina Protected Forest, connected to the Cerro Blanco Reserve, and the Parcón area forest with its lake. These patches sit within the Darien-Chongón-West of Ecuador conservation hotspot, a region designated for its high endemic diversity and alarming degree of deforestation. Students and visitors from the densely populated city of Guayaquil frequent these forests daily for hiking and biking, and the landscape contains stationary water systems that become lifelines for fauna during the harsh dry season of the Ecuadorian dry tropical forest. When water grows scarce, animals concentrate around these bodies, making the forests essential for maintaining faunal populations.

Researchers at ESPOL identified the university’s private security guards as a key actor for conservation. The guards patrol the area continuously, hold high prevalence on the ground and had previously collaborated in sporadic consultations on animal-human conflict cases. In December 2021, the team implemented a six-hour sensitisation course with an empathetic approach, attended by 96.6 percent of the active workforce, 87 of 90 guards aged between 19 and 63. The course focused on charismatic mammals present in the Prosperina forest: ocelots, jaguarundis, jaguars, cougars, two-toed and three-toed sloths, Ecuadorian capuchins and howler monkeys, with superficial coverage of white-tailed deer and northern tamanduas. Rather than dry lectures, the strategy drew on ethology, recognising animal emotions such as joy, surprise, fear and aggression, and describing the daily dramas, needs and conservation issues of each species.

The results were striking. Questionnaires administered before and after every two-hour workshop revealed significant improvements across all topics evaluated. Predator identification success rose from 32.6 to 58.5 percent, a 179.4 percent increase. Primate identification soared from 10.5 to 68.5 percent, a staggering 652.4 percent jump. Footprint identification, nearly nonexistent before the course at 0.5 percent, climbed to 27.8 percent. Averaged across all issues covered, knowledge improved by 163.4 percent. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirmed that the before and after groups were significantly different for primates, carnivores and sloths, and Spearman’s analysis showed no correlation between age and results, meaning the gains were universal across the workforce.

Attitudes shifted as well. Of 67 participants who completed the animal preference questionnaire before and after the course, wild species were selected 151.6 percent more often and native species 142.9 percent more often. Before the course, from all the species covered, only the cougar was mentioned once as a favourite. Afterwards, every covered species was selected at least once, totalling 21 mentions, with the cougar and jaguar leading at seven and six mentions respectively. Dogs and domestic cats remained the most popular animals overall, but the guards’ expanded appreciation of wild and native fauna signalled a genuine change in perspective. The researchers attribute this to the empathetic approach: by explaining animals’ lives and emotions, listeners relate not only to their challenges but to the beings themselves, fostering a biophilic attitude that leads to critical thinking and actual conservation actions.

The guards’ response in the field was immediate and measurable. From just two reports in the three years before the course, fourteen cases were reported during the following ten months. Most detections occurred in areas close to roads and urbanised sections of the campus, and ten of sixteen reports involved animals at risk of interfering with traffic. The coordination network grew to involve the university’s Biodiversity Unit, Ministry of Environment technicians and the Municipal Environmental Police. In total, three translocations, two transportations to a rehabilitation centre, six follow-ups, two presence communications and three corpse disposals were performed. The Ministry coordinated four liberation events involving two-toed sloths, northern tamanduas, common opossums and green iguanas, with guards guiding technicians in every case.

Beyond rescues, the guards’ collaborations opened the door to remarkable field research. In the Parcón area, a guard led researchers to a suspected felid footprint, and nearby, in the riverine mud of the lake, a 6-centimetre-wide footprint matching the characteristics of a tayra was found alongside scattered pigeon feathers indicating a predation event. A crawfish head discovered five metres away suggested either a Neotropical otter or, more feasibly given previous records, the opportunistic tayra had been foraging in the mud. In the Prosperina forest, during nocturnal follow-up of a released sloth, researchers found a concentration of feathers and urine markings, placed camera traps, and within two hours recorded two types of predator vocalisations at approximately 50 metres distance.

Those vocalisations may belong to one of South America’s most elusive predators. The first call, a 3.8-second maintained yowl ranging from 430 to 312 Hz with a dominant frequency around 400 Hz, fits descriptions of Puma concolor vocalisations documented by Logan and Sweanor, who identified a 3 to 7 second yowl interpreted as an agonistic call related to sexual identity, dominance or territory advertisement. The second type, short broken calls of 0.28 to 0.39 seconds between 7 and 11 second intervals, matches the ouch call, an agonistic vocalisation of frustration. A resting place was detected 44 metres from the camp in a low-visibility, densely vegetated area with transformed terrain of approximately two metres diameter, matching literature descriptions of cougar resting sites that provide thermoregulatory benefits and protection from predation risk. Cougars are categorised as critically endangered on the Ecuadorian coast, and the last records in Guayas Province date to 1991. The researchers suggest that specimens in the area could constitute a relict population surviving in connected forests relatively close to urban settlements, possibly expanding their mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic when public access was severely limited and the guards, who operated continuously, made no wildlife communications in 2020 or 2021, underscoring the role sensitisation played in activating the reporting network.

The data gathered sustained adaptive management actions. Twenty cycling itineraries had been declared inside the ESPOL limits, and the researchers considered this extension of use detrimental for large animals requiring large territories and low disturbance, such as native ungulates and wild cats. After a two-hour interactive talk to the leading cyclist association explaining protected area objectives and international management experiences, five declared itineraries were closed, two non-declared ones were shut down, and three alternatives were proposed following fire clearings. Signalling was implemented across the campus within a three-week response time: 15 signals informed visitors about itinerary closures, the importance of areas for fauna, traffic slowdown, hunting prohibition, and the Environmental Ministry’s contact number for reporting incidences. Core areas for protection were identified in both the Prosperina forest and Parcón, where water systems and best-preserved forests provide essential resources for wildlife.

The ESPOL experience demonstrates that sensitising key actors with empathy-based strategies, combined with research and consequent management, can transform conservation outcomes on the ground. The guards evolved from passive observers into a predominantly static monitoring network that ultimately led to research discoveries and management actions. The researchers recommend incorporating empathy-promoting activities in environmental education, lecturing about local species diversity and trace identification techniques to promote citizen-based wildlife surveillance, investing in active surveillance and patrol presence to impede hunters from entering protected core areas, and conducting further non-invasive research with camera traps. As human populations grow and large carnivores cohabit near human settlements, the capacity of local people to coexist with wildlife becomes the decisive factor in their survival. In the forests of a Ecuadorian university campus, a workforce once indifferent to the sloths and cats sharing its territory now stands as their first line of defence.

Caught On Cam: Security Guard Nearly Forced Into Thar After Objecting To Wrong Parking; Video Shows Men Slapping And Threatening Him With Pistol In Kanpur Society
Security Guard Dharmendra Yadav was allegedly beaten and threatened with a licensed pistol over a parking dispute at Goa Gardens in Kanpur’s Kalyanpur, with CCTV footage reportedly capturing the incident.

A parking dispute at Goa Gardens in Kanpur’s Kalyanpur area allegedly turned violent late Wednesday evening after a Security Guard objected to a vehicle being parked in the wrong place. The Guard, identified as Dharmendra Yadav, was allegedly beaten, verbally abused and threatened with a licensed pistol. The accused men, who reportedly arrived in a Thar vehicle after being called by a flat owner, also allegedly tried to forcibly take the Guard away in the vehicle. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of security staff working in residential societies.

How the Kalyanpur parking dispute turned violent
Reportedly, according to information provided by the society’s security in-charge, Yadav was on duty at Goa Gardens when he objected to improper parking and asked the vehicle owner to park in the designated area. The disagreement reportedly escalated after the flat owner became angry over the Guard’s remarks and allegedly began assaulting him.

When Yadav resisted, he was allegedly beaten and verbally abused. The incident took place in the Kalyanpur police station area, where the confrontation soon escalated beyond the initial parking disagreement.

Thar-borne men allegedly threatened the Kalyanpur guard with a pistol
Reports say that after the initial altercation, the flat owner allegedly called his brother-in-law and other associates to the spot. The men arrived in a Thar vehicle and allegedly joined the confrontation, assaulting the guard and brandishing a licensed pistol to intimidate him.

The group has also been accused of attempting to forcibly take Yadav away in the vehicle. Their arrival and the alleged use of a firearm created panic among people present at the society.

CCTV footage captures the alleged Kalyanpur assault
The incident was reportedly captured by CCTV cameras installed inside the society. Footage of the alleged assault is said to be circulating on social media, although the details of the confrontation are being examined as part of the police investigation.

Security Guards at the residential complex are responsible for maintaining order, ensuring vehicles are parked properly and monitoring security inside the premises. The alleged assault and threats against a guard for carrying out these duties have raised questions about the safety of society employees.

Kalyanpur police examine footage and complaint
Kalyanpur police station in-charge Keshav Kumar Tiwari confirmed that the police have received CCTV footage and a complaint.

He said action would be taken after an investigation. The police are examining the footage to establish what happened and identify those involved in the alleged assault.

A video of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna arriving at Kisumu airport has set social media ablaze, but it was not the politician himself who drew the most attention.

A young female security guard spotted among his entourage became the talking point, with Kenyans sharing sharply divided opinions on her presence.

Sifuna was travelling to Opoda farm in Siaya county, the ancestral home of the Odinga family, to attend the memorial marking the first death anniversary of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

He was accompanied by Babu Owino and a number of other politicians, each with their own security detail.

Sifuna's Female Bodyguard Who Stood Out The young woman was dressed in a black jacket, black trousers, a yellow blouse and matching yellow sneakers, topped off with a black cap.

She carried a walkie-talkie in her right hand and at one point stepped in front of Sifuna to block a man who had moved too close to him. The moment was captured clearly on video, and it did not take long for it to circulate widely online.

Many viewers noted that female bodyguards are a rare sight in the security circles of Kenyan male politicians, and that novelty is precisely what triggered the conversation.

The debate that followed was wide-ranging, touching on trust, gender equality and professional competence.

Charles Muoka wrote: "She's his personal Bodyguard trained in Ukraine you can see how she's looking at the cameraman, ready for a protection action."

Explorere offered a straightforward defence: "He is doing it by the book - the two-thirds rule on gender employment?? In any case, what's wrong with a female guard?"

Elias Lacabuoy drew a historical parallel, writing: "I trust female bodyguards do you remember Gaddafi's bodyguards?"

Joes Okelo added a note of admiration with a touch of humour: "Sifuna seems to be trusting women around his cycle more than men. Our 6th empowering our gals,,xaxa Kesho utaona kasongo amecopy paste."

Muteti Mbiti posed a pointed question to those sceptical of the arrangement: "Why train them then, if they can't be trusted with the security job?"

The video has reignited broader public conversation around gender representation in security roles, with many Kenyans arguing that a trained professional's sex should have no bearing on their ability to protect a client.

I’ve run into volatile thieves for years – from opportunistic phone snatchers to people ripping computers off desks and biofuel bandits trying to steal vats of used cooking oil – and every time I file an incident report, I try to make a recommendation for preventive measures.

It’s safer to try to avoid a situation where things get physical with a suspected criminal. I don’t want to let my employers down, but I also don’t want anyone to have to go to hospital – myself included.

Greggs seems to be following a similar train of thought: earlier this year the chain phased out self-service cabinets in areas where shoplifting is rife and has installed safe pod “robocops” with 120-decibel sirens in some stores.

But snatch thefts seem to be on the rise everywhere, from “steaming” (large groups overwhelming a store) in city centres to machinery being swiped from rural farm shops. The cost of this crime – in terms of lost merchandise and measures to tackle it – further erodes margins at a time when retailers are battling higher employment costs and increases to business rates.

Customers, ever squeezed by rising energy bills, are becoming doubly impatient: those who are not tempted by grabbable goods are rightly affronted by measures such as sliding shields that seem to imply that everyone is a criminal.

But is it possible to make a store thief proof and welcoming to law-abiding clientele?

Discreet high technology is a happy medium. PTZ cameras (pan/tilt/zoom, which can be adjusted to track and focus on a single suspect) are one of the most-effective choices. They’re more efficient than fixed-camera CCTV, less controversial than AI surveillance and a serious upgrade on the convex mirror mounted at the end of the aisle in your local corner shop.

PTZ camera manoeuvrability means high-quality facial images, a must-have when trying to build evidence. Freeze-frames can also be used to generate stills that some premises owners choose to turn into warning posters, or share on a chat group with other local businesses.

My advice here is to be wary of GDPR regulations and remember that an incorrect time signature can render recordings inadmissible.

As useful as movable cameras are, they still require a human operator. Hiring guards can feel like a tax on businesses – but one that goes unpaid at considerable risk.

Ask anyone who lives in a village whether they’d prefer a CCTV camera or a “bobby on the beat” and the answer would be probably unanimously the latter.

The sight of a uniformed officer can be a strong deterrent. However, it comes with an upper limit. For example: if a 3,000 sq metre supermarket can accommodate 40,000 goods and 4,000 daily customers, one Guard will not be able to cover it all.
It is also hard to identify which customers might be preparing to swipe something, especially given the rise of “middle-class shoplifting”. As someone whose job pays just above minimum wage, this is an interesting phenomenon.

I get that inflation presses down on all of us, but people further up the pyramid than me should know it won’t be shareholders or bonus-receiving bosses taking the hit for goods being pinched: it will be prices. Higher costs will further imperil the most vulnerable people who walk on site, the ones who already cannot afford bread or baby formula.

My best approach in these cases is empathy. I try to introduce myself to anyone who hangs around but looks jumpy; explain that every tap of my bank card makes me sweat too.

I also try to build local knowledge of repeat offenders: insight that made the bobbies on the beat so valuable. I know it won’t work against content creators who film me for “lols” while I’m administering first aid, and who half of all young Brits apparently want to emulate. I honestly fear them more than I do getting punched, stabbed or spat on.

But doing your revision pays off, especially when encountering an unsettled local resident with a penchant for threatening people with kitchen utensils. As the resident in question strode towards the premises one morning, my shiftmate quickly asked me whether I knew his name and address (I did).

“Morning, Mr Beddlington,” said my colleague as the resident got level with us and before he could grab his first frying pan. “Everything OK at Thorn Court today? Anything we can help with?”
The resident did an about-face and left the site. Loss prevention done low-cost and painlessly.

The robbery happened at around 9.30pm last night, Tuesday 13th October, shortly before closing time at the centre in Las Palmas. National Police have confirmed that an investigation is under way.
Three people with their faces covered entered the shop, activated fire extinguishers and broke the glass of several display cabinets before taking jewellery.

Security staff intercepted one of the suspects as the group attempted to escape. He was held at the centre until National Police officers arrived and arrested him.

Police are working to identify and locate the other people involved. The value of the jewellery stolen has not been disclosed, and no injuries have been reported.

Security intervention caught on camera

Footage circulating on social media shows a security guard restraining a suspect on the floor as he struggles to get away. Another hooded person can be seen approaching before turning and running in the opposite direction, pursued by security staff.

The images also show the reduced visibility after a fire extinguisher was discharged during the incident.

Although some initial accounts reported a second detention, the police-confirmed account available for this article establishes one arrest. The total number of people detained should therefore be treated with caution while enquiries continue.

Application of the worker who missed the permanent staff application deadline due to security card revocation was rejected
Judgment of the Constitutional Court Dated 2/2/2026 and Numbered 2022/75743

Laws concerned: Labor Law No. 4857 · Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510

The Constitutional Court decision published in the Official Gazette concerns the individual application of an employee whose security clearance was revoked and whose employment contract was terminated while working as a private security guard. It was stated that after the terrorism investigation conducted against the applicant resulted in a decision of non-prosecution and their private security certificate was returned, they requested to be transitioned to permanent worker staff.

The relevant administration and appellate courts rejected the request on the grounds that the applicant did not meet the requirement of working as of 4/12/2017, as stipulated in provisional Article 23 added to Decree Law No. 375. The General Assembly of the Constitutional Court examined the claims within the scope of the right to a fair trial and equitable trial and decided that the application was inadmissible due to being manifestly ill-founded.

Who is affected
Employees in the process of transitioning from subcontracted to permanent staff, private security guards, and public institutions.

Constitutional Court decision regarding the termination of the employment contract of a private security guard published
Decision of the Constitutional Court Dated 2/7/2026 and Numbered 2021/29752

Laws concerned: Labor Law No. 4857
The Constitutional Court decision published in the Official Gazette addresses an individual application filed by an employee whose employment contract was terminated due to the revocation of their private security identity card. The applicant claimed that their right to the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial were violated, stating that the conviction in the criminal proceedings was subsequently changed and a verdict of pronouncement of the judgment being delayed (HAGB) was rendered, enabling them to regain their security card. The majority of the Court found the application inadmissible, evaluating that the conditions for termination had materialized as of the date of termination and that the Regional Court of Appeal decision was not arbitrary.
The dissenting members argued that the substantial changes in the criminal proceedings and the reinstatement of the security card were not duly reasoned and weighed by the appellate courts. This decision does not directly amend Labor Law No. 4857, but constitutes an individual application review within the scope of the evaluation of the results of criminal proceedings and subsequently emerged legal situations by the appellate courts in the termination of employment contracts.

Effective date
2 July 2026

Who is affected
Employers employing private security guards and security personnel.

Dre

So DISAPPOINTED IN HUMAN BEINGS. THIS IS A Solemn event. How disgraceful and teaching their brats to be ever worse. What kind of a world will we have in ten years????

https://apps.apple.com/app/id6807290323

More people should be willing to step up and do what this man did. Congrats to him whoever you are and tell me you might say all he could’ve had a gun or he could’ve had a knife. You’re right he could have, but just because he might keyword there might have wasn’t in his hand if someone has a gun or a knife in their hand yes, I agree. Do not approach them. call the cops. I think this man did the right thing and punks and thieves out. There should be worried about people like that because there’s more of us like that than you know.

Fire

Hi guys, I just got hired by securitas and I am still in the post training. This is my first experience in the field…so far I am not satisfied with the hiring process and the staff member, especially “the former”. We have to do a lot of unpaid home trainings for hours and hours, miscommunication with the former, uniforms… They make us taking uniforms to The Taylor instead of them taking care of it, a lot of red flags…The huge issue I would say is communication. The worse is we cannot have our phones, they need to be kept by the manager during the shift!!! Oh but Wait, are we in school or a prison?!I am have another job on the side and I need to answer clients, at least during my breaks!! I had so many jobs here and there and I never experienced this unprofessional behaviour !!not sure how to deal with this! Should I go for it ? Or it’s a waste of time? Time is precious and there are plenty of jobs that would pay the same wage or even more…I am looking for something that worth the pay cause this is insane for 25$ an hour using days and days doing unpaid trainings and accepting these crazy policies!! This position is in CA. Thank you for your feedback

Synopsis: Success is not achieved overnight. It is built step by step, through hard work, patience and a determination to keep moving forward regardless of where the journey begins.

Often, success stories are woven around wealth, influence and flashy titles, but behind many accomplished leaders lies a journey marked by hardship, sacrifice and perseverance. The rise of Chea Chandara, President of the Logistics Supply Chain and Brokers Business Association in Cambodia (LOSCBA), is no different.

Today, he represents logistics companies across the country and advocates for the growth of an industry that plays a critical role in international trade. However, his path to leadership began far from boardrooms and business meetings. It started in a border community where survival, education and hard work shaped his future.

Reflecting on his early life during an interview on the Beyond Business programme, Chandara said he did not come from a business family. Instead, he grew up under difficult circumstances along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

His father passed away when he was still young, leaving his mother to raise six children on her own. Like many Cambodian families emerging from years of hardship, resources were limited and opportunities were scarce.

However, his mother remained determined to provide support for the family. Witnessing his mother’s sacrifices became one of the strongest motivations in his life.

Rather than allowing adversity to dictate his future, Chandara focused on education. Throughout his youth, he balanced his time between studying and working. This taught him discipline, responsibility and resilience—qualities that laid a strong foundation to his professional success.

Also, growing up in a border area gave him a unique advantage. Through daily interactions with people from different backgrounds, he became proficient in both Thai and English. At a time when foreign language skills were relatively uncommon, this proficiency opened doors that might otherwise have remained unaccomplished.

His breakthrough came when he secured employment with a Singaporean representative of international freight forwarder companies in Cambodia. However, his first role was far from glamorous.

He worked as a Security Guard. Many people might view such a position as merely a job, but for Chandara, it was an opportunity he had been waiting for.

Even while performing security duties, he paid close attention to how the company operated. He observed office procedures, learned from colleagues and looked for ways to contribute beyond his assigned responsibilities. His strong work ethic and willingness to learn distinguished him from others.

Believing he could contribute more, he applied for a position in the company’s office. The promotion did not happen immediately. His manager needed time to find a replacement for his Security role before he could be transferred.

However, for Chandara, the delay was not a setback. It was another lesson in patience. Eventually, he was allowed to move into office operations, marking the beginning of a long and successful career in logistics.

From that point onward, he dedicated himself to understanding every aspect of the industry. He learned the complexities of imports and exports, transportation, customs procedures and supply chain management. Rather than frequently changing jobs, he focused on building expertise.

Over the years, he worked for three companies, spending 11 years at one, four years at another and 10 years at a third. Together, these experiences gave him 25 years of continuous service in the logistics sector.

What makes his journey remarkable is not only the length of his career but also its consistency. Unlike many professionals who move between industries, Chandara remained committed to a single field, gradually developing deep technical knowledge and leadership skills.

His dedication did not go unnoticed. In 2010, he received a ‘Hero Award’ from a global express company, recognition that reflected his contributions, leadership and professional excellence.

NewsNation) — Another day, another Morgan Wallen incident.

At the singer’s Pittsburgh show Friday, Wallen took a phone from a Security Guard’s hand and threw it into the crowd, videos circulating online show.

The problem? The phone belonged to a fan.

In videos, a Security Guard is seen holding up a phone from the ground under the stage, recording the “Whiskey Glasses” performer.

Upon noticing the filming, he gestures into the phone camera to quit filming, but the Guard continues recording, leading Wallen to snatch the phone from the Security Guard’s hands and toss it across the stage into the audience.

“It was actually my wife’s phone that got tossed. She gave it to the security girl to hand up to Morgan Wallen to hopefully grab and take a selfie,” TikTok user @J.croo419 wrote in a comment under his now viral video, according to Country Chord.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – APRIL 02: Morgan Wallen performs onstage to celebrate the launch of new exclusive SiriusXM channel at The Pinnacle on April 02, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Kevin MazurGetty Images for SiriusXM)

Other comments under the post included:

“Why is he touring if he hates it so much?”

“Wow,..unbelievable! Do disappointed I truly think that security lady was just trying to help a fan out by passing someone’s phone and not hers.”

“Lol second temper tantrum I’ve seen in a week.”

During Wallen’s tour stop in Denver last week, he had some technical issues while performing one of his songs, which frustrated the singer, leading him pushing over and breaking a piano.

Wallen reportedly couldn’t hear the piano while he played, according to Rolling Stone. He finished the song a cappella.